Spring

My Sand Cherry!  I can't wait for it to bloom again!

In truth, Fall has always been my favorite season.  I like the briskness of the nights, with the warmth of the days, the smell of the autumn breeze, sweaters, school...  But there is something about Spring.

Spring is such a happy time of year.  I mean I feel happy in the spring.  The air turns warmer.  The colors are so vibrant and new and fresh and happy.  There is rain too, but even the rain is happy.  I love the sound of it on my roof...maybe because it is my roof.  The air smells good too.  Cleaner.  There is music in the air.  Literally.  Birds are singing everywhere.  And they sing such a happy song! 

In Northwestern Illinois, it is still quite cool.  But this week, there has been a hint of spring in the air!

My kids feel it too.

Charlie just couldn't wait to get outside today.  I made him put on his jacket.  He grabbed his cement mixer truck and little people school bus and was out the door!  He ran gleefully to the backyard, dumped both vehicles into his wagon, which he began to push around the yard.  I tried to show him how to pull the wagon with the handle, but no...he preferred to push it.   His jacket lasted about 5 minutes.  Who exactly taught that boy how to use a zipper?  Oh..right...me.  What on earth was I thinking?  Certainly not that he would rip his jacket off first time I turned around.  I tried to get him to put it back on, because, as I said, it's still cool.  He wouldn't have it.  He shook his head no vigorously and ran away.  Oh well.  If he gets cold I guess he'll put it back on.

Jimmie too was off like a shot.  He ran around the backyard at full speed several time.  Then he would play with a stick.  Then he would run again.  Smiling and squealing as he went.

The grass is still brown.  The tulips have not yet bloomed.  The trees are still bare.  But Toby killed a Robin last night and left it on the doorstep this morning, so there are signs of spring starting to stir.  Poor Robin.  Toby is a prolific hunter.  We had a full grown rabbit left for us a year ago.  And while our front porch is a killing field, we don't have mice despite the open field in back of our house!  Go get em Toby.  Toby loves spring too.  Getting him inside this week has been more difficult than getting him to go outside during the winter...and he's part Maine Coon.  He's designed for winter.  But he stands at the door, looks at the snow drift, blinks, and you can practically hear him say, "Yeah, right.  You first" as he turns and walks back into the warmth of the living room and to his cat tree.  But this week.  Nope.  There is spring out there.  Baby birds and rabbits.  Clean smelling breezes...and color.  Can cats see in color? 

Another few weeks or so, and it will be perfect!

Come on Spring.